ERA’s Top TV Picks 16th – 22nd March 2019

Rebecca Clark14th March 2019

Welcome back to our Picks of the Week! Here we’ve got our selection of the best TV broadcasts for teaching and learning coming your way this week. Rejoice, geographers, for there’s plenty for you, though maths and science also have quite a lot going on too! Of course, there’s plenty for everyone though.

Saturday 16th March

The Inca: Masters of the Clouds
BBC 4, 7pm – Recommended for… Ancient History and Geography
Peru is the destination of choice for Dr Jago Cooper, who’s off to investigate new evidence that has been uncovered about the Inca people. This evidence, however, could disrupt a lot of our current ideas about their history and culture.

Sunday 17th March

The Lorax
ITV 2, 4:20pm – Recommended for… Geography and English
What better way to teach pupils about looking after the environment than a story set in one of Dr Seuss’ worlds? Danny DeVito is the voice of the Lorax in this animated adaptation, which sees him trying to save his increasingly threatened world.

All Star Musicals
ITV, 6pm – Recommended for… Music, Drama, and Dance
This one-off competition hosted by John Barrowman sees celebrities performing songs and dance numbers from hit musicals in the hope of being crowned champion. The show also includes performances by the West End cast of Aladdin and a duet by judges Kristin Chenoweth and Elaine Paige.

Skeletons of the Mary Rose: the New Evidence
Channel 4, 8pm – Recommended for… History, Chemistry, and Biology
The Secret History team investigate Henry VIII’s sunken warship, the Mary Rose, by using isotope and DNA analysis to find out more about the crew and life in Tudor England.

Born Digital: First Cuts
BBC 4, 10pm – Recommended for… ICT, PSHE
The first in a series of short films made for the 30th birthday of the World Wide Web acts as an introduction for the films to follow, so as to give you an idea of which ones you might want to watch or which ones might be relevant to your subject.

Monday 18th March

Harry’s Heroes: the Full English
ITV, 9pm – Recommended for… PE, Catering
In this interesting-looking two-part programme, Harry Redknapp attempts to get ex-England football players back into the shape they were when they played many years ago. This might be of interest to those teaching about nutrition in sport or the effects that certain foods have in conjunction with exercise.

Tuesday 19th March

Secrets of Silicon Valley
BBC 4, 10:25pm – Recommended for… Business Studies and Computer Science
This two-part programme following what goes on behind the scenes in Silicon Valley is being shown back-to-back tonight. Jamie Bartlett visits the famous region and talks to the CEOs promising a better future. What he finds in other parts of the businesses, however, often leaves a bit to be desired…

Wednesday 20th March

Alaska: a Year in the Wild
Channel 5, 7pm – Recommended for… Geography
This episode sees the arrival of spring to Alaska, following animals as they try to eat and prepare for the months ahead on a pretty tight schedule.

How to Go Viral: the Art of the Meme with Richard Clay
BBC 4, 9pm – Recommended for… ICT, Sociology, Psychology, and Media Studies
It might seem like a strange topic, but given the importance of memes in today’s social media scene, this documentary with art historian Professor Richard Clay might prove extremely relevant. Here, he investigates the rise in their popularity over the years, how they reflect and shape our thoughts, and why certain memes go viral, whereas others go relatively unnoticed.

Thursday 21st March

60 Days on the Streets
Channel 4, 9pm – Recommended for… PSHE
Ed Stafford returns to investigate why a lot of homeless people gravitate towards London. He also uncovers the fact that there are some non-homeless people who take advantage of the situation, pretending to be homeless in order to take money off some well-meaning citizens.

Queen Elizabeth I: a Timewatch Guide
BBC 4, 9pm – Recommended for… HistoryTimewatch guides are always worth a watch, and this one focuses in on the life and times of Queen Elizabeth I, taking a look at the ups and downs of her reign.

Friday 22nd March

Can Improve My Memory?
Channel 4, 8pm – Recommended for… Biology and PSHE
This one is a bit odd, but it may help in getting students to understand how best to memorise certain facts and figures. Here, Valerie Singleton, Gok Wan, and Joey Essex are tasked with memorising facts about topics far out of their comfort zone (UK grime, the periodic table, and the life of William the Conqueror respectively).

The Secret Science of Pop
BBC 4, 9pm – Recommended for… Maths, Science, and Music
Ever wondered how some songs become chart-toppers? Well here’s your chance to find out. A group of scientists, banded together by evolutionary biologist Armand Leroi, do research into and analyse data and algorithms to see if they can replicate such a success with a relatively unknown artist.